Phonograph mute



P. BRINKMAN.

PHONOGRAPH MUTE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 18, 1920.

Patented Apr. 11, 31922.

2 $HEETSSHEET I'- I I V EN TOR. ffiazfmr ma z P. BRINKMAN.

PHONOGRAPH MUTE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 18, 1920.

1,4123%, Patented Apr. 111, 11922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

cairn PAUL BRINKMAN, or PORTLAND, onneon.

lI-IONOGRAPi-I MUTE.

T 0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, PAUL BRINKMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Portland, in the county of Multnomah and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Phonograph Mutes; and I do hereby declare the. following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it ap-pertains to make and use the same.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple means in the form of an attachment which is applicable to the sound or voice rod of a phonograph sound box as a means for softening or modifying the tone, eliminating the unnecessary or superfluous mechanical vibration to eliminate the scratching and other mechanical sound and for varying the intensity of the reproduction, more especially as to volume, to suit the character of the composition which is being reproduced and the capacity of the room or apartment in which the reproduction is occurring; and with these objects in view the invention consists in a construction and combination of parts of which a preferred embodiment is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a view of the mute applied in the operative position to a sound box the latter being shown as viewed from the edge.

Figure 2 is a face view of the sound box showing the mute applied thereto.

Figure 3 is an enlarged side view of the mute detached.

Figure 4: is a plan view of the same.

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view thereof.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line 66 of Figure 3, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

The mute which is indicated. generally at 10 in Figures 1 and 2, and which as indicated therein is applicable to the voice or stylus rod 11 with which is connected the stylus or needle 12, and which is pivotally mounted upon the sound box casing 18 and is terminally connected with the diaphragm l t, (the voice tube being indicated at 15) may be constructed of hard wood, rubber or other suitable material, preferably in the form. of

Specification of Letters Yatent. Pat gntgd Apt, 11, 1922.

1920. Serial No. 389,934.

a block as indicated in Figure 5, which is tapered in thickness and reduced in width (see Figure 3) and which is split or slotted from the reduced edge inwardly between the side surfaces as indicated at 16, to form the separated but integral jaws or fingers 17 of a sufficiently yielding or resilient'character to permit of their relative movement to contract the interval or slot between the same to firmly engage an interposed object such as the voice or stylus rod 11 and thus lock the mute in position thereon. The contraction of the fingers or jaws is effected for example by means of a thumb screw 18 extending transversely through the jaws near their point of union with the body portion or back 19 of the mute and the rear edge of the latter is rounded as indicated at 20.

The solid back of the device forms a suitable grip or handle by which it may be manipulated, and obviously after adjusting the fingers or jaws to lie upon opposite sides of the plane of the voice or stylus rod, the

thumb screw may be tightened to clamp the device in place, at any desired portion of the length of the rod, depending upon the amount of modification of the tone which is desired, it being obvious that a variation in the position of the device upon the rod serves to produce a greater or less interference with the vibration thereof with a consequent modification in the degree of the effect produced, more especially in the matter of the intensity and volume of the tone produced.

It has been found that the use of the device serves to eliminate the superfluous vibrations of the rod to an extent sufiicient to practically eliminate the scratching and like mechanical sounds incident to the vibration of the metal, and to modify or eliminate to a great extent the dissonant overtones or harmonics which impart harshness to the tones by the reason of their prominence with reference to the fundamental tones and the concordant harmonics which properly enter into the composition of the tones as originally received by the record.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is A reproducer attachment comprising an elongated body, flexible fingers formed on one edge of the body and of a width substantially equal to the length of the body where they form onto said body and said fingers being gradually reduced in Width towards their free ends and adapted to straddle a stylus rod and engage substantially the full length of thelatter when the stylus rod is positioned close to the body, and means for varying the tension. of the fingers on the stylus rod to permit the fingers and body to be moved laterally of the stylus rod. to vary 10 the length of the rod engaged by said fingers. In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

PAUL BRINKMAN. Witnesses: V A

H. J. SIEBERTS, ESTHER GOEHRING. 

